How to Keep Your Carpet Looking New

Carpet is a textile; so it is delicate. Like any fabric or piece of clothing, it will stay looking new if it is properly maintained. There are several elements to a proper maintenance program.

There are several elements. If your carpet is carefully maintained, it will look good for years. You must control the soil being brought to the house. Dirt detracts from the beauty of the carpet. Dirt is also abrasive and can make your carpet look old. Soil must be removed immediately before it cuts down the carpet fibers and gives your floor that tired look.

It’s said that eighty per cent of soil in your house is brought in from the outside, and the other twenty percent is environmental. The key is to catch the soil before it is brought into the house.

First start with your outside environment… Do you have finished sidewalks, entryways, and landscaping? Planting grass and shrubs will control the soil and make it harder to track to the house. Once you open the door, a walk-off mat will collect dirt being brought into from the outside.

When purchasing walk off mats, choose mats made from a non-slip material rather than those made from natural fibers.

Natural fibers are often coarse and can damage your carpet. Walk-off mats or area rugs should be vacuumed regularly and cleaned professionally. One of the best things you can do to prevent dirt from being tracked through the house is to remove your outside shoes. Putting on "inside shoes" or slippers will go a long way in preventing damage to your carpet.

The most cost-effective maintenance program is regularly vacuuming. Vacuuming should be done even when the soil is not visible. Tracked in soil will sink down through the carpet and not be noticed until it has caused damage to the carpet. If your carpet is a cut pile carpet, a good vacuum cleaner with brush or beater bar will remove soil more effectively. The beater bar agitates the top of the carpet and loosens the soil from the carpet making it easy to remove.

Vacuuming frequently is more important than the type of vacuum used. How much should you vacuum? Probably more than you would like. The traffic areas should be vacuumed daily to prevent the grit from sinking into your carpet. The rest of the house should be vacuumed two to three times a week. Cut pile requires more vacuuming that level loop carpet. Carpet rakes are not a thing of the past; they are effective in lifting the carpet pile so it can be removed easily with a vacuum cleaner.

To keep carpets from getting matted, it should be vacuumed in several directions. By vacuuming in only one direction, the vacuum will start to mat the fibers. Every time you vacuum try to use different electrical outlets. This will help you change the direction of your vacuuming.